The recent primary election saw Texas Ag Commissioner Sid Miller, Republican, being voting out of office and Nathan Sheets being selected as the nominee.
Miller faced an uphill battle as Sheets’ campaign was boosted by major endorsements from Gov. Greg Abbott, Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham and industry groups like the Texas Farm Bureau.
Sheets, the founder and former CEO of a national raw honey company and a ranch owner, will compete against Democrat Clayton Tucker in the fall general election, though no Democrat has won statewide office in three decades.
Miller was first elected in 2014. As reported by The Texas Tribune, his three terms have been littered with scandals. In his first term in office, he was investigated by the Texas Rangers and fined by the Texas Ethics Commission after allegations surfaced that he was using public dollars for personal travel, including one trip to receive a pain injection called the “Jesus shot.” He paid back the money, and he was never charged with a crime.
During his second term, his longtime political consultant, Todd Smith, was indicted for commercial bribery and theft for trying to sell hemp licenses regulated by Miller’s agency.
After Smith pleaded guilty to commercial bribery, Miller installed him as chief of staff at the Department of Agriculture, where he is currently the second-highestpaid employee in the 755person agency.
Last year, The Texas Tribune reported that a former friend of Miller’s told law enforcement that he was asked by the agriculture commissioner to dispose of marijuana products because he feared he was being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.